Kyle Elihu Onstott (January 12, 1887 – June 3, 1966) was an American novelist, known for his best-selling novel '' Mandingo'' (1957), which deals with slavery on an Alabama plantation with the fictional name of Falconhurst in the 1830s. The book was made into a 1961

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

and

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

of the same name, which was released in 1975. Onstott was originally a

dog breeder Dog breeding is the practice of mating selected dogs with the intention of maintaining or producing specific qualities and characteristics. When dogs reproduce without such human intervention, their offspring's characteristics are determined by ...

and judge in regional dog shows, living in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

with his widowed mother in the early 1900s. He was a lifelong bachelor, but at age 40, he chose to adopt a 23-year-old college student, Philip, who had lost his own parents. Philip eventually married a woman named Vicky and the two remained close to Onstott for the rest of his life. Onstott dedicated ''Mandingo'' to Philip and Vicky. Onstott began writing ''Mandingo'' when he was 65 years old. He based some of the events in the novel on "bizarre legends" he heard while growing up: tales of slave breeding and sadistic abuse of slaves. Having collaborated with his adopted son on a book about dog breeding, he decided to write a book that would make him rich. "Utilizing his doptedson's

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research on

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, he handwrote ''Mandingo'' and his son served as editor. Denlinger's, a small

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

publisher, released it and it became a national sensation." He was invited to write an article for '' True: The Man's Magazine'' in 1959 about the horrors of slavery. A sequel and a series of other novels followed, mostly written with

Lance Horner A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier ( lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...

. Outside the usual setting of their work was the 1966 novel ''Child of the Sun,'' recounting the scandalous reign of the homosexual Roman emperor

Elagabalus Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Sextus Varius Avitus Bassianus, 204 – 11/12 March 222), better known by his nickname "Elagabalus" (, ), was Roman emperor from 218 to 222, while he was still a teenager. His short reign was conspicuous for s ...

Works

* ''Beekeeping as a Hobby'' (1941)https://www.worldcat.org/title/1655887 * ''The New Art of Breeding Better Dogs'' (1962, with Philip Onstott) * '' Mandingo'' (1957) * ''The Black Sun'' * ''Child of the Sun'' (with Lance Horner) * ''Falconhurst Fancy'' * ''Flight to Falconhurst'' * ''Master of Falconhurst'' * ''The Tattooed Rood'' * ''Drum'' (1962) * ''Strange Harvest'' (with Ashley Carter)

References

External links

* 1966 deaths 1887 births Novelists from Illinois 20th-century American novelists American historical novelists American male novelists Dog breeders People from Du Quoin, Illinois 20th-century American male writers {{US-novelist-1880s-stub